This invention relates to the field of combine harvesters. More particularly the present invention relates to a three piece combination of replacement items for greatly improving the operation of conventional combines.
The current state of the art for combine harvesters, as known by the applicant, is excellently presented in 39-Page John Deere advertising brochure entitled "Rice and Soybean Combines", published by Deere and Company, Moline, Ill. Additionally, the present state of the art is depicted in FIG. 1 of applicant's drawings. Accordingly, it may readily be seen that the structure depended upon heretofore to transfer the straw and/or residue from the cylinder-concave thresher onto the straw walkers consists of an array of parallel, spaced-apart, overly long "fingers" which extend rearwardly beyond the most forward portion of the straw walkers, i.e., even when the straw walkers are at their most rearward point of travel.
A particular problem exists with present combines in that too much fine chaff is being carried by the straw walkers. This results in sealing the grain over, which prevents it from separating from the chaff. Thus grain is ultimately lost when carried on out and discharged from the combine with the straw. The intent of the spacings between the array of fingers is to enable grain to gravitate therethrough; however, in actual practice, this does not reliably occur.
Another problem encountered with present-day combine harvesters involves the grain cleaning section which includes an air blower and sieve structure. This latter problem results from an inadequate distribution of the volume of air emanating from the air blower subsection. The air flow from the air blower is intended to accomplish two distinct purposes. First, a portion of the air is directed to the straw walkers which lifts and separates the fibers, thus facilitating the separation of residual grain therefrom. Second, a volume of air is directed toward the sieve structure to entrain the chaff and/or unthreshed material (known in the art as tailings) from the remainder of the material received in the cleaning section. Applicant has found that in present combines too much air is being directed toward the sieve structure. Thus a considerable amount of grain is now being inadvertently blown out with the tailings, obviously resulting in undesireable waste.
Another problem is encountered when harvesting certain types of grain and/or under certain damp climatic conditions. This latter problem is directly associated with the above mentioned finger array in that the fingers have a tendency to hold up the flow of certain types of straw, e.g., green straw, bean sticks, weeds, corn and milo maize. This slowing down or stopppage of the material at this location in the combine prevents the expected separation of the grain from the straw. Indeed, applicant has found that in certain combines this problem will become so severe that the beater belts often are broken as a result thereof. Obviously, the down time of the equipment, coupled with the man hours required to accomplish the repair, becomes a source of aggravation to the farmer.
The state of the art as known by applicant includes the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,034,469; 1,962,541; 2,189,706; 2,247,446; 2,305,964; 2,457,680; 2,682,951; 2,686,523; 2,739,597; 2,718,967; 2,812,766; 2,939,581; 3,109,433; 3,583,405; 3,603,063; 3,848,609; 2,440,197; and 2,262,453. However the combination of elements as taught by applicant have not previously been suggested.